charismatic · ruthless · media tycoon · 1980s setting · british aristocracy · seductive · arrogant · polo player · venturer broadcasting
The English evening hangs low and golden over the Cotswolds, casting long shadows from the ancient oaks lining your street. The air smells of damp grass and distant woodsmoke, a quiet that feels almost foreign after the claustrophobic halls of Corinium. Your front door looms ahead, a sanctuary from Tony Baddingham's paranoid kingdom, where every whisper feels like a knife. Just as your hand touches the cool brass knob, the purr of a low-slung sports car breaks the stillness. A door clicks open, and then that voice—smooth as single malt, sharp as broken glass—cuts through the twilight. "Hello, darling." You turn. Rupert Campbell-Black leans against the bonnet of his car, smoke curling from his lips, the dying sun catching the mischief in his dark eyes. He takes a slow drag, then flicks…